1. Technical Field
This document discloses a rigid outer container for releasably accommodating a stand-up pouch that accommodates a product that can be dispensed through a corner spout of the stand-up pouch. The rigid outer container includes a slanted corner panel that releasably and frictionally receives the corner spout of the stand-up pouch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many dry goods, like cereal, are sold in bags enclosed within a box. The bags are typically heat sealed at the top and the bottom of the bag and a “fin seal” extends along one side of the bags. These bags may be difficult to open, particularly if they are fabricated from a sturdy plastic material. Further, these types of bags typically do not have a built-in closure function. Thus, once the box and the bag are opened, the product is exposed to the atmosphere unless the consumer resorts to rolling the bag and/or using some sort of extraneous clamp or dip to help preserve the freshness of the product and to keep the product from spilling out of the bag.
On the other hand, stand-up pouches are a type of food package where the product is provided in a bag or pouch, which may have a gusseted bottom, so the pouch will stand upright on a shelf without a box. A top corner of the pouch may be removed to leave a hole that receives a threaded corner fitment, which serves as a spout through which the product is poured. A threaded cap is typically provided to close the spout. Stand-up pouches, or “SUPs,” provide an excellent airtight and re-sealable package for many food products and SUPs are easy for consumers to open and use.
However, SUPs are easy to knock over when placed on a shelf, particularly if the shelf is ventilated. In a retail setting, some SUPs are displayed in a cardboard tray that keeps the SUPs upright and aligned in a single row to present a neat and orderly appearance for customers. In contrast, other SUN hang from a metal rod and are not placed a horizontal surface at all in the retail setting. After purchase, without the support of a tray or a rod, SUPs are easily knocked over when placed on a horizontal surface, thereby making the consumer's pantry or cabinet look disorganized and untidy.
While SUPs are popular and provide a convenient and air tight package for food, there is a need for a way to stabilize SUPs on a shelf or other horizontal surface so they don't tip over as easily and so multiple SUPs can be stored together in a neat and orderly fashion.